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Seafarer Index
Kenya flag

🇰🇪 Kenya

ISO KEN / KE

Regulatory

MLC 2006
ratified (2014-06-12)
Paris MoU rating
not-listed
Tokyo MoU rating
not-listed
USCG Qualship 21
not listed
ITF FoC
not listed

Registry

Vessel count
100
Deadweight
1
Administration
Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA)
File a complaint
Official form

East African gateway port nation; Mombasa hub

Compliance history

Country context

Population
57,532,493 (2025)
GDP per capita
$2,363 (2025)
Income group
Lower middle income
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa

Source: World Bank Open Data.

What this means for seafarers

  • MLC 2006: This flag has ratified MLC 2006. Vessels must hold a valid Maritime Labour Certificate + DMLC Part II posted onboard. You can file an MLC complaint via the flag administration.
  • Port-state-control profile: not-listed or unknown rating. Read about PSC regimes →
  • STCW: Party to STCW. Verify a CoC issued under this flag at the administration.

See also: flag risk explained · MLC ratification list · white/grey/black lists.

Reference

  • III Code — the IMO flag-state audit scheme measuring implementation of IMO instruments.
  • Port state control — how Kenya-flagged ships are inspected + detained in foreign ports.
  • Minimum safe manning — the SOLAS V/14 basis for Kenya's manning documents.
  • Marine cyber incidents — case studies + the IACS UR E26/E27 cyber-resilience regime.
No vessels indexed under Kenya yet. Try MarineTraffic vessels under KEN.

Ports in Kenya

All ports in Kenya →

Kenya flag: FAQ

Is the Kenya flag safe for seafarers?
The Kenya flag has weaker port-state-control ratings under one or both MoU regimes. It has ratified MLC 2006, so seafarers retain convention-based rights. Operators on weaker-rated flags are not always poor employers, but they face less external regulatory pressure.
Has Kenya ratified the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006)?
Yes — Kenya has ratified MLC 2006 (ratified 2014). Seafarers serving on Kenya-flagged vessels are entitled to make MLC complaints through the flag administration, port state, or seafarer welfare organisations such as the ITF.
How do I file a complaint against a Kenya-flagged vessel or operator?
Complaints can be lodged with the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) via their official complaint procedure. Under MLC 2006, complaints may also be lodged with the port-state authority of any MLC-ratified port. The ITF and seafarer welfare organisations (Mission to Seafarers, Stella Maris, Sailors' Society) can advocate on your behalf. Keep contract, wage records, and seaman's book ready.
What port-state-control rating does Kenya have?
Paris MoU rating: not-listed. Tokyo MoU rating: not-listed. PSC ratings classify flags by inspection and detention history. White / low-risk flags face fewer PSC inspections; black / high-risk flags face more frequent inspection and a higher detention rate.
Is Kenya on the ITF Flag of Convenience (FoC) list?
No — Kenya is not currently on the ITF Flag of Convenience list. Seafarers retain general ITF-channel access for advocacy and abandonment response regardless of FoC status.

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High confidence

Editorial confidence: how we grade. Data sources and methodology: /sources.

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